The International Small Group and Tree Planting Program (TIST)

Training Seminar for ProjectsJuly, 2005

Part 1: TIST Project Background

The International Small Group & Tree Planting Program

25,000 smallholder farmers• Empowered Small Groups

– Reforestation, – Conservation Farming,– Health Education (HIV/AIDS)

• Tanzania (2000), India (2002), Uganda (2003), Kenya (2004)

Living In Desolation

TIST Participants: Choosing Change

Transforming landscape to forest

Small Groups Prepare Nurseries

Trees line paths, shade houses, …

... & allow grass to grow.

TIST Roles: The Small Group

Registration

Training

Decision Making

Nurseries

Tree Planting

Reporting

Best Practices

Bank Account

The International Small Group and Tree Planting Program (TIST)

Training Seminar for ProjectsJuly, 2005

Part 2: TIST Monitoring Systems

& CDM Methodologies

TIST Monitoring SystemsUses latest technology, methods to best meet needs

Keys to TIST Monitoring Systems

• Years of hardware, software & methods development– Palm computers, GPS, synchronizations, website development,

technologies to minimize training & ramp-up time• Thousands of site visits to groves = years of hard work• Transparency, Accuracy, Business Integrity

– Transparency: simultaneous & public access to data from site visits– Accuracy: data tracked vs. data “reported” for various purposes…

• Examples of items that change over time:– All groups vs. just active Small Groups– All groves vs. just CDM-only groves – All trees vs. just trees>1.73m

– Integrity: hold some tons in reserve/won’t sell even up to the “accurate” # of tons…

• Relevant to more than just CDM buyers: host country, development agencies, public, non-CDM buyers, etc.

Results at www.tist.org

Project Scenario:Location of Groves

Project Scenario: Trees by Age & Species Cohort

• Additional Info:– Tree Height

• > 1.37m?

– Diameter• allometric

– Spacing/GPS• Grove size

CDM Project Boundary: Groves

• Groves, once established by SGs, define TIST project boundary– SGs report that they established a grove– TIST quantifiers visit grove, note tree counts by

age & species cohort, GPS coords– Trees existing prior to start are excluded

• TZ 2000

• IN 2002

• UG 2003

• KE 2004

Baseline Methodology for Groves• Project boundary (groves) evolve over time

• Multiple parts to TIST baseline study:– Area deforestation analysis (one-time)

• From dialogue during initial participant training

• Backed up by research from authoritative sources

– Grove-specific site visits (initial + over time)• Visits within first 12 months to define boundary &

note age & species by cohort

• Repeat site visits: grove may fail to meet CDM or may expand with additional plantings each year

Baseline Scenario

• Conservatively estimated as 0 – No SG formation, no training (on tree-planting,

CF, HIV/AIDS, SG BPs), no tree payment incentives, no SG bank accounts…

– No tree nurseries, no holes dug in preparation, no tree transplanting from nurseries to holes

– Continued deforestation

Leakage

• Conservatively estimated at 0:– Travel emissions

• Between groves by quantifiers & project managers

• Between US & host countries by project managers by US-based personnel

– C sequestration outside groves• Fuelwood obtained from TIST plantings

• More C sequestered outside TIST

The International Small Group and Tree Planting Program (TIST)

Training Seminar for ProjectsJuly, 2005

Part 3: CDM A/R Working Group Issues Raised

Project Boundary A/R WG Issues

Groves, once established by SGs, define TIST project boundary

• A/R WG: orchards near towns– arguably could be part of baseline scenario per

A/R WG (suggest extra additionality screen)

• A/R WG: add land eligibility screen– how to ensure no trees after 1989?

Baseline Scenario for Groves• Conservative TIST Baseline: 0 carbon

– no SG formation, no training (on tree-planting, CF, HIV/AIDS, SG BPs), no tree payment incentives, no bank accounts,

– no tree nurseries, no tree planting, continued deforestation

• A/R WG: ignored natural regeneration– Not explicitly addressed– Far outweighed by continued deforestation for fuelwood

• A/R WG: include gross carbon sequestration in baseline– Cannot include carbon from gross tree plantings in project

scenario.– Must account for fuelwood demand & mortality in project scenario

to produce net C.

Leakage

Leakage conservatively estimated at 0

• A/R WG: – Delete benefit of fuelwood from within groves– Add impact of displaced agricultural activities

Other A/R WG Recommendations

• Stratify groves into climo-edaphic zones• Count only trees > 1.37m• Re-measure diameters of same trees each visit• Specify tree sampling across grove breadth• Apply allometric equations to each tree; then sum• Calculate 95% confidence intervals for C

TIST Methodology Outcomes

• Recommendations on changes to TIST methodologies– A/R WG, WB, CAAC, Others

• TIST system modifications implemented across four countries (to address A/R WG recommendations)

• Resubmission of improved/modified CDM methodologies for approval